Madagascar Leader's Troops Extend Control; No Word of Rival

Published: July 5, 2002

ANTSIRANANA, Madagascar, July 4—
President Marc Ravalomanana's army arrived here in northern Madagascar today to a hero's welcome from residents who said they had been terrorized by militia loyal to his arch rival, the former president, Didier Ratsiraka.

Antsiranana was one of Mr. Ratsiraka's two remaining strongholds. His soldiers fled before the advancing troops allied with Mr. Ravalomanana.

The first of Mr. Ravalomanana's soldiers, who entered the town on Wednesday afternoon, were greeted like an army of liberation. People who had been hiding in their houses came out into the streets for the first time in weeks, and there was a carnival atmosphere throughout the town.

''I'm so happy, I haven't been out of my house for four months,'' said Yolande Rabakoarivelo, who said she had been forced to stop work in January after Ratsiraka loyalists started following her. ''These last days have been awful. You could not go out, there were shots, grenades during the night all over the town.''

Mr. Ratsiraka and Mr. Ravalomanana have been fighting for the presidency of this island of 16 million residents since disputed elections in December that Mr. Ravalomanana says his rival rigged. A court recount ruled Mr. Ravalomanana was the winner, but Mr. Ratsiraka has refused to step down.

Mr. Ravalomanana's army has been advancing through the island, and now controls all but Toamasina Province in the east, where Mr. Ratsiraka, a former admiral who has ruled Madagascar for 23 years, is believed to be staying, surrounded by supporters. The offensive on Toamasina has already begun.

Local television reported on Thursday that two people were killed in clashes at a major roadblock in Toamasina.

Men believed to be from Mr. Ratsiraka's militias stopped Mr. Ratsiraka's former information minister and the governor of Toliara Province from escaping by speed boat to Réunion island, sources at Toliara port said.

Today, Antsiranana, an attractive harbor city, was packed with people. Wearing Ravalomanana T-shirts and painted faces, relieved residents flocked to the center of town to hear speeches from Mr. Ravalomanana's officers and the new governor of their town.

People perched on the top of a tank to get a better view. Others chatted to the soldiers overseeing celebrations.

Around 70 people were taken hostage and tied to the railings of the governor's offices last week.

Residents said the militias had attacked people who came from the high plateau where the capital, Antananarivo, Mr. Ravalomanana's main support base, is located.

Historically there has always been tension between people from the coast and those from the plateaus in Madagascar, but people in Antsiranana said Mr. Ratsiraka had manipulated the ethnic divide.

''Ethnic problems were made up to cause trouble,'' a teacher at the university said. ''There has never been a problem here. Then young students started telling on their classmates, saying 'He is from Antananarivo.' The people from the high plateau could not go out.''

On Monday Mr. Ratsiraka said he was still legal president and accused Mr. Ravalomanana of flouting the constitution. Since then there has been no word from him or his officers.